aiEDU and The Rithm Project launch free AI literacy lessons for high school ELA classrooms

11 Jun

The partnership introduces two curriculum snapshots exploring empathy and ethics in the age of AI, with free classroom resources now available for download.

The AI Education Project (aiEDU) and The Rithm Project have released two free classroom resources designed to bring AI literacy into high school English Language Arts (ELA) instruction. The materials, called “ELA Snapshots,” explore the theme of human connection in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

aiEDU is a nonprofit that offers no-cost curriculum and training materials to help schools incorporate AI literacy into existing instruction. The Rithm Project focuses on developing student-facing resources and research related to how young people interact with AI, with an emphasis on relationships and social behavior.

Curriculum ties AI to social and emotional learning

Developed by The Rithm Project using aiEDU’s framework, the ELA Snapshots were piloted in high schools during spring and are now freely available on aiEDU’s website. The lessons are designed for repeated use and aim to embed storytelling and reflection into AI literacy instruction.

Michelle Culver, founder of The Rithm Project, says: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with aiEDU on this important work. So much of the current AI conversation is dominated by tools and productivity. While that’s important, that often misses the social impact of AI. This partnership gives us a chance to put empathy, ethics and youth agency front-and-center — and help students think more deeply about how they relate to others in a rapidly changing world.”

The materials are distributed under a Creative Commons license and will remain free to educators. aiEDU and The Rithm Project will collect educator feedback to inform future iterations.

Professional learning to follow in 2025

The two organizations plan to co-host a professional learning session for educators in fall 2025 to support classroom implementation. According to the release, the sessions will focus on aligning AI-related content with existing academic standards and classroom relevance.

Alex Kotran, co-founder and CEO of aiEDU, says: “By embedding storytelling and critical thinking into AI literacy efforts, we’re giving students the tools they need to understand both the technology—and themselves—in a world shaped by algorithms.”